SPOTLIGHT: Charles Stoneham

One of Pinewood’s matte painters was CHARLES STONEHAM, who trained under Cliff Culley and provided matte work through the 1960s to 1980s. Here he is (above) painting a Calcutta landscape (and concealing modern buildings) for the award-winning GANDHI (1982).

Stoneham also worked on the 1984 TV A CHRISTMAS CAROL starring George C. Scott, adding to its snow-capped Dickensian atmosphere.

Additionally, Stoneham contributed to RETURN TO OZ (1985) – a successor to one of the great matte movies – as well as other dark ‘80s fantasy like LABYRINTH (1986) and DARK CRYSTAL (1982). The latter took Stoneham out of retirement from matte painting, having become a milkman instead.

One unique credit is for Lindsey Anderson’s BRITTANIA HOSPITAL (1982), a bonkers big swing that also features exteriors of the glass mirrored hospital, all made by Stoneham!